


Misfits

by rudbeckia



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Character Death, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-16 20:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 4,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5839405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short fics I wrote for tumblr prompts all collected here. <br/>Since they were on my main tumblr, I tried to keep it cute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stormpilot - Going to War

"You are going to go out there," Poe pointed to the door, eyes never leaving Finn's face, "you are going to fight hard and dirty and you are going to win."

Finn shook his head.  
"This is insane! Poe--"

"No!" Poe held up his hand. "You can do it. You have to. This is war, buddy."

"Poe, really? All he said was--"

"He called you a fithy, First Order fern-bicker! A... a stinktrooper! You gonna let him away with that?"

Finn frowned and nodded vehemently.  
"Well, uh-huh yes, actually. I'm a soldier, sure, but I use a blaster not these!" Finn brandished his fists. "There's no point getting into a brawl I'm not gonna win."

Poe rolled his eyes.  
"Ugh, Finn! Babe, I understand, really, but I understand that jackass even better. You have to--"

The door opened and both men heard the roar from outside. BB8 rolled in, beeping like a malfunctioning microwave oven.

Poe laughed and clapped Finn's shoulder.  
"Showdown's over, buddy. Rey floored him in eight seconds when he suggested girls can't punch."


	2. stormpilot - star crossed lovers

Finn looked back over his shoulder at Poe, frowning at his friend's expression. Poe had punched then rubbed Finn's shoulder on the way past and held him for a second, now Poe had stopped and was watching him walk away. It wasn't that Finn had never seen that look before, it was that Finn had only seen it directed at others.

Poe looked at Finn as if he was the centre around which Poe revolved.

It was too late, the moment of realisation destroyed as a hand guided Finn's elbow to move him from the runway and Poe climbed into his x-wing. Finn watched the squadron leave, staring at Poe's ship until the speck vanished.

"He'll come back, buddy, Poe always comes back."

Finn did not know the name of the resistance member who said that, but he would learn and thank her.

Poe did come back, two standard days, twenty-one hours and forty-three minutes later, not that Finn was counting. Finn was there, he rushed to the landing area as soon as the call went out that the squadron was back, saw Poe's x-wing taxi-ing slowly to maintenance and BB8 lower to the concrete. Poe jumped down with a tired smile and a cheerful greeting. Finn waved and smiled, but Poe was swept off to report immediately to General Organa, BB8 rolling and beeping behind him.

Finn thought Poe was limping, and fretted. 

Later, so much later that Finn was asleep, Poe slipped into his own bunk and wished that his stormtrooper was beside him. He got up again and went to find Finn in the dim light of the barracks. Finn's bunk was by the door, the unpopular spot always fell to the newbie. Quietly, with barely a grunt or a groan at aches from tired, bruised muscles, Poe leaned over and kissed Finn's forehead.

Finn woke up enough to smile at Poe. Poe almost giggled back, light headed from lack of sleep and the residual excitement of his mission. Finn shifted, moved over to the edge of the narrow bunk and lifted the covers. An invitation. Poe lay down, Finn's solid arm around him, his head on Finn's shoulder. Heart rate dropping and breathing calm, Poe fell asleep, safe and dreaming of a lazy morning.

Poe woke alone in the hollow where Finn's warmth lingered. Of course Finn would have duties and of course he would attend to them with diligence. Poe stretched out, testing his limbs and back for pain, then stood. He made for his own bunk-room and then the shower, embarrassed that he had subjected Finn to his unwashed, post-mission state.

Poe did not indulge in recovery time beyond what was necessary. He joined the maintenance team on his craft to prepare it for the next mission. Looking around, he saw most of the other pilots do the same. At mealtime, Poe loked around but Finn was still absent.

"Hey, he's gone."  
The voice was blunt but not unkind.  
"What? Who. Finn?"  
"Your stormtrooper had some inside knowledge, apparently. He's been sent on a mission. The General was up all night planning with her team after your report."  
Poe closed his eyes and shook his head. He packed his disappointment down with his fear for Finn's safety and wished he had been conscious enough to see that his might happen. He could have volunteered to go too.

Finn's mission was not an easy one. He had to infiltrate, gather intelligence, pass as a stormtrooper although it made him sick with fear every time he put on the armour he had shed so recently. He had to deal with mistrust from the stormtroopers on the base who were conditioned to suspect outsiders and mistrust from the resistance fighters who were waiting for him to succumb to his conditioning and turn against them. 

Finn's mission was long.

After weeks of carefully soliciting trust, he sent the signal that he was ready. This base was not the primary target, Finn now knew that honour lay on another planet in another system nearby, he had seen the plans to the new Starkiller that were hidden away here. Finn knew where to strike.

The whole team, two of the resistance's communications experts, two soldiers and Finn, were extracted quietly. There could be no fight to cause alarm, there could be no evidence left to say that resistance had been there and escaped. Finn knew that the fight was bigger than him, bigger than Poe. Still, as he waited for his transport to drop through a carefully timed gap in the base defences, Finn wished he had told Poe just once, just quietly in passing, you make me try to be the best version of myself.

A tiny shuttle dropped out of the sky and hung a foot from the ground. Finn ran for the open hatch and leapt aboard. It shot straight up, inertia flattening Finn to the floor. Finn grappled his way to the seat behind the pilot and strapped himself in, putting on the spare helmet so that he could talk to the pilot.

Brealthless, Finn struggled to say, "Thanks! I can't wait to get away from here!"  
The pilot gave Finn a thumbs up but did not turn, his attention taken by the process of manoeuvring the recalcitrant shuttle into position to dock with the larger craft shielded by the smaller of the planet's moons. Once automatic docking procedures were underway, the pilot laughed.  
"I bet, buddy! I bet."

Finn almost yelled.  
"POE!"   
As the shuttle came to a stop, Poe unbuckled his restraints and turned to grin at Finn.  
"You have no idea how many favours I had to call in to get this assignment! Good to see you, buddy!"  
Finn couldn't help himself. He launched himself forward and hugged Poe, barely able to reach around the seat. Poe laughed and patted Finn's arms.  
"Come on, let's get outta this scrapheap."

Their euphoria was short lived. Walking arm in arm away from the shuttle, the klaxon sounded an alert and they ran to their stations, Poe to the x-wing hangar, Finn to the small armoury to pick up a recharged blaster. The attack was short. Later, Poe heard that the whole mission had been a First Order set up from the start to flush out the resistance. There had been casualties on both sides but the one positive outcome was that there was no new starkiller base in this quadrant. Finn was an experienced soldier, Poe reassured himself. He thought of the look on Finn's face as he paused at the back of the transporter ready to evacuate, searching, meeting Poe's gaze as Poe climbed into his cramped x-wing cockpit, and gesturing. Poe had frowned, trying to make out the shape of the words on Finn's lips, understanding, yelling pointlessly across the hubbub of the hangar deck, "I love you too!"

Poe hoped without expectation that they would meet again.


	3. stormpilot - waking up with amnesia

Finn woke up gradually. He came round for a few seconds, long enough to flutter his eyelids and take a deep breath, sigh and fall asleep again without noticing Poe's concerned and excited face close to his. Poe yelled for a medic and someone came running.

"He woke up! Hey! My buddy's gonna be okay!"

The medic did not point out that "woke up" and "okay" might not naturally follow each other. They reassured the pilot and asked him to keep doing what he had ben doing, talking to Finn and holding his hand.

The next time Finn came round was a couple of hours later. Poe was asleep, sitting on a chair by Finn's bedside, head on the bed by Finn's shoulder, hand clasping Finn's.

Finn frowned and tried to raise his other hand but it caught in the bedsheets and before he had a chance to rub his face or pat the hair of the person who cared enough to sit with him, Finn felt his head spin and his ears sing and he lapsed back into dreams of noise and fear that he knew somehow could not be as real as they seemed.

Poe cursed when he woke with a start and saw that Finn had tried to move and he had been asleep and hadn't helped. He smoothed the covers, released Finn's trapped hand and walked around the bedside a few times to try to wake himself up. Someone brought Poe water although he wished for something with caffeine. 

The third time Finn tried to come out of it, Poe was there, watching Finn's face change. He shifted, frowned and grimaced and shook his head. Finn blinked a few times, took a deep breath in and held it, caught the scream before it erupted from his core.

"Finn! Finn, buddy! MEDIC!"   
Poe looked around wildly, squeezing Finn's hand between both of his. He grinned back down at Finn.  
"You're back with us, buddy! Stay this time, huh? Nonononono, eyes open, baby, look at me, buddy."   
Finn looked up at the face of the man who had infiltrated his hallucinations and dreams with kind words and comforting touch. He smiled and tried to speak, voice croaking out of a parched throat.

"Thank you, whoever you are."


	4. stormpilot - prostitute/client AU

Finn looked around the dank bar at all the varieties of flesh. He knew he had to be careful, it wasn't all for hire. His eyes settled on a dark-haired, dark-eyed figure pretending to drink at the bar, picking up and putting down a silvery metal goblet, looking around, picking the drink up again. 

"Don't be obvious," thought Finn. "Don't show yourself up or this will be over before it begins."

Someone approached the tousle-haired man at the bar. Finn saw in his peripheral vision, he angled his head a little to see better. The man appeared to be negotiating. The dark-haired man shook his head and reached for his drink, but a large hand grabbed his wrist before he reached it. A rough voice, threatening, told him to leave it.

"I paid the Hutt for your time. You come with me now."  
The man pulled and shook his arm but the grip was firm.  
"Struggle all you want, make it more..."  
the client grinned, Finn had never seen so many teeth.  
"...interesting."

The man caught Finn's eye. It was all the encouragement Finn needed. He slipped down from his seat and walked behind the client. He poked the business end of his blaster into the client's side, just under where he thought ribs ought to be, and spoke slow and clear.

"This one is taken. I paid for him already. Find another one."  
The client started to turn but Finn dug the blaster hard into their flesh.  
"Know what this is? Know what'll happen if I pull the trigger?"

The client snarled but dropped the man's wrist and walked away to accost a lone Rodian. Finn took the man's hand and they slipped outside while the Hutt was preoccupied with betting on a couple of sparring Rattataki.

The man sighed and hugged Finn.  
"Ugh, thank you. I have to go back in there. I saw the Knight of Ren but they aren't buying yet. I need to stay close and look pretty, see if I can get anything useful from them." 

Finn shook his head rapidly from side to side and backed away, pulling Poe with him.  
"No. Oh no. No, no, no. No way. Leave with me before it gets even more dangerous."

Poe stepped forward.  
"One of us had to go under cover! Come on, buddy, Finn, I trust you to keep me safe."


	5. stormpilot - things you said when you were crying

Finn walked back and forward, boiling over with tears of frustration and rage. Arms waving up and down, pointing to accent his words, the ex-stormtrooper railed helplessly against his former comrades.

"Can't they SEE what they are doing? Why can't they break out of it! So many of them! If even half, a QUARTER would just... just RISE UP and say NO! They could take over the Finalizer and.... and..."

"...all be executed for treason?" Poe supplied the final conclusion that Finn could not face. "Finn, you... we can't save everyone. Sometimes you have to prioritise and save yourself."


	6. Han & Leia - things you said after it was over

Leia held Han's hands.  
"This, Han, this is not your fault. You could not have stopped this."

Han snatched his hands away and rubbed his eyes.  
"Leia, I am his Father. That should mean something. I should have stopped him." 

Quieter now, "I should have been able to stop him."

Leia shook her head. She knew she had always been the strong one, Han's posturing hid his insecurities like putting on a cloak.  
"You were not there. You couldn't--"

"Then I should have been THERE!" Han roared the last word. "I should have been there. He was too young, he was too easy to influence. And luke, LUKE!" 

Han picked up the nearest object and threw it at the wall. The crash made Leia jump, then set her normally compassionate face to stone.

Han did not even notice.  
"LUKE! We entrusted the care of OUR SON to YOUR BROTHER and THIS happens! Leia, we've lost him. I lost him."

Leia trembled with the effort of not shouting back but her words tumbled out regardless.  
"YOUR son? Ben is MY son too! Sending him to Luke was the best thing we could have done to protect him from the dark side! You think he would have fared better here, with no training? He... Ben, our boy is not evil. He has done evil things but I feel the light battle the dark within him. He is not lost. Not yet."

Han shook his head. He looked through Leia with eyes that told of heartbreak.   
"Leia..."  
Han raised one hand as if to caress but did not touch Leia's cheek. He turned and walked away. 

Leia picked up pieces of the broken picture and wondered if Han would ever return.


	7. stormpilot - things you said while I was crying

"Oh! Hey, hey it's okay. You're okay."  
Finn clung to Poe like he intended never to let go. Poe gave a short laugh as he spoke and rubbed Finn's back.

Their reunion in front of witnesses had been a joyful product of relief. Now in private, after time to think about how different outcomes to events could have changed the moment, Finn's heaving sob made Poe realised Finn needed his reassurance. 

Poe closed his eyes and swallowed his own fears. He rarely dwelt on things that might have been, events that might have, but did not happen. Why care about a blaster shot that missed? Or a risky manoeuvre that succeeded and did not cause his x-wing to fireball onto the planet surface? Was it not better to celebrate wins than to mourn losses.

Poe had seen so many losses.

Suddenly Finn was stroking his hair, telling him he'd made it, he was safe for now, not to worry. Finn murmured into Poe's ear, Poe's head cradled against his chest, one thumb gently wiping his cheek dry of the grief even Poe could not deny forever.


	8. 679/5 Kylux - why're you here

Hux looked up with annoyance.  
"Why're you here, Ren? Is there something you want from me that the Force can't provide?"

Kylo Ren scowled at the General but choked down his sarcasm. It would get him nothing. Perhaps flattery was the best approach.

"General, I see you are looking as well dressed as usual."

Hux stared, features forming his usual slight sneer.  
"What? Don't waste my time, Ren. Tell me why you are disturbing me and then go away."

Kylo examined the creases on his right glove and felt the small object in his left. He sighed with irritation at the demeaning request he had to make.  
"You look like a man who prides himself in petty tasks like knowing how to take care of his uniform."

Hux glared at the object Ren placed in front of him. He looked up in surprise.  
"You have got to be kidding me, Ren."

Kylo looked away, feeling heat shoot up his neck and blossom on his cheeks. Hux laughed.

"Can the Force not sew your button back on for you?"


	9. Stormpilot - before we jump

"Is this really necessary?"  
Finn yelled over the wind and pushed himself closer to the edge and peered over, leaning back quickly. Poe laughed in his ear, harness holding them together.  
"Yes. You'll love it!" Poe yelled back, "I promise, there's no feeling like it!"

Finn looked back over his shoulder at Poe. Poe kissed Finn's cheek and grinned.   
"Come on, on a countdown from five. FIVE!"  
"Arms out... FOUR!"  
"Hips forward... THREE!"  
"Heels up... TWO!"  
Finn screwed his eyes closed and teetered on the ledge. Panic in his voice, he almost screamed.  
"I LOVE YOU!"  
"I love you too! ONE!"

Poe pushed and corrected Finn's position in freefall. After forty seconds of rushing, deafening, too-fast-to-breathe air, adrenaline rocketing and hearts pounding, their parachute opened and Poe steered them to a safe landing.


	10. Are you in? Or out? - stormpilot

"Well, buddy?" Poe watched Finn's face and grinned nervously. "Are you in, or out?"  
Finn's expression cycled through confusion, comprehension, surprise.  
"I guess... I guess I'm in?"  
Poe's smile relaxed and he laughed with relief. With Finn held tight to him, Poe murmured, "should we keep this quiet for a while?"  
Finn nodded and kissed him, a clumsy meeting of lips neither was quite ready for. Poe stroked Finn's jaw, their second kiss lingered until frantic beeping alerted them.

BB8's arrival preceded Rey by a second. Rey giggled at the two startled faces of her friends.  
"Don't mind me. Jess bet you'd be an item by the end of the day. I thought you'd take another week of flirting. Guess I lost."


	11. Is that your wish? - kylo/emperor hux

Hux stood tall in his ceremonial uniform, charcoal and black tunic and robe with a filigree platinum circlet in his fiery hair. Kylo adjusted its position, stood back and shook his head.  
"You still look like you're wearing a tiara. The hat was better."  
Emperor Hux scowled.  
"Pass me the hat."  
Kylo obliged, holding his hand out for the intricate band of precious metal. Hux huffed.  
"Does my pet Dark Lord have nothing better to do than offer fashion advice?"  
Kylo ignored the insult but answered the question.  
"I heard a jedi still lives, rumours out of the Western Reaches. I could investigate. Is that your wish?"  
"No." The Emperor closed his eyes for a second as fatigue washed over him. He held out a hand and Kylo took it. "My wish is that you remain by my side. Kylo, I am not sending you away to chase rumours. When there is a proper trail to follow we will obliterate the Jedi together."


	12. Is that even allowed? - finnrey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so I made Finn & Rey buddies here because I wanted Rey/Jessika

"Is that even allowed?" Finn's eyes opened wide and he stared at Rey's grin. "I heard Jedi weren't supposed to have close relationships."  
Rey shrugged.  
"Traditionally, no, Master Luke said it clouds our vision. We should not allow outselves to become attached to friends and family because we are supposed to love without regard for... something. I stopped listening after a while."

Finn laughed and hugged Rey.  
"I am happy for you. Both of you. How did you get it past Master Luke?"  
Rey squirmed out of Finn's embrace but kept hold of hs hands.  
"I didn't have to," admitted the young Jedi. "Leia did it. I only heard half of what she said but there was something about balance and something else about loving family and needing someone to come home to, and she yelled, 'fat lot of good it did you, brother,' at one point."  
Finn winced and mouthed a silent, "ouch".

Rey smiled and hugged Finn again.  
"So, um, Jess is asking Poe to be her bridesman. Um, would you--"  
Finn whooped.  
"Yes! I'd love to!"


	13. FN2187 & FN2003 (Finn & Slip) "We're designed to be disposable"

"You again!" FN2003 scowled at his brother-in-arms. "Do I have to be grateful? I guess I do." His face softened as he looked into the deep brown eyes, concerned for his welfare. "Thanks. Again."

FN2187 nodded. "It's okay, Slip, just don't tell anyone. We're designed to be disposable and the Captain--"  
"--doesn't need to know. I get it." 

It wasn't that Slip wasn't grateful, or glad to be alive and still part of the unit, it was that he owed his life a couple times over to the trooper everyone knew was weird. One word from FN2187 to Captain Phasma and he'd be reconditioned to the point of... well. Slip knew there was no point dwelling on things that had not yet happened. But it would, one day. Stupid FN2187 coming back for him, saving him, what did that idiot hope to achieve? Damn them both, probably. Himself for being the weak link in the unit, FN2187 for being a poor leader and showing pity. Slip knew that for the sake of the strength of the First Order, he should have died. FN2187 weakened the unit by saving him, and Slip did not know for sure how to deal with that knowledge.

Later, Slip laughed and joked with his mates in the unit and blanked FN2187 like everyone else did, although he remained aware of the quiet presence at the table in the corner of the mess and deliberately kept his eyes elsewhere.

FN2187 briefed the unit on their next mission, having taken orders from Captain Phasma herself. Slip listened. It sounded easy, round up some uncivilised villagers and keep them corralled while other units performed a thorough search. For the initial charge out of their transport, on Captain Phasma's orders, he had the dubious honour of leading the way. He ran out shooting and did not expect to find himself lying on the ground, in pain, feeling cold and distant. Someone leaned over him. Someone familiar despite the anonymising white armour. Slip raised his hand, gauntlet ripped off with his fingers when his blaster backfired after a hit. He tried to stroke the face of the trooper he only knew as FN2187 and murmur, "Told you so," but his hand fell by his side before he could say anything.


	14. Kylux "Could you be any louder?"

Hux hid emotions well. He had years of practice, ever since the first time his father informed him with an exasperated snap that Hux boys don't cry and he should stop or he'd get something new to cry about. Mother had been no comfort, the younger Hux faced matching alabaster expressions until father had left the room. Only then did mother relent, kiss the top of his head and tell him to go calm down in his room. Young Hux lay on his bed, face down, and vowed through gritted teeth never to show his father such weakness again.

Now, barely a twitch of lip or eyelid passed his countenance without Hux intending for it to be there. Few people, maybe two or three, could gaze at The General's neutral face and guess at his turmoil. One was Phasma, but Hux knew she was loyal and would say nothing. Besides, he knew a thing or two about her in return and they lived in an atmosphere of mutual respect that passed for friendship in Hux's life. One was his mother but Hux had distanced himself from her disapproving glances.

The other did not have to look at Hux's face to know his mind and that was terrifying. Caught out, lost for a moment in private fantasy, Hux felt a hand on his back and a distorted voice in his right ear. He angled his head to hear Ren better. Ren's smirk penetrated the distortion from his voice circuitry.  
"I could make that happen for you, General. We are each strong but together we could be invincible."

"Ren." Hux closed his eyes for a few seconds and breathed slowly in and out.  
"Think about it, General. You and me, ruling the galaxy together. Your military presence and my power. Who could withstand us?"  
It did not take long for Hux to be seduced by Ren's vision. Ren laughed quietly, a low rasp from his mask.  
"Come to my quarters General, I know you want this. We can discuss how best to use each other's particular talents to fulfil our desires for the future."

Hux's face twitched the overture of a scowl. He challenged Ren with a clipped voice.  
"How can you possibly think you know what I want from you?"  
"General, your thoughts betray you." Hux heard the click and hiss of Ren's mask disengaging and lifting. Hux did not turn, but his eyes closed and he knew Ren would detect the frisson that sent a tingle down his spine and caused a tight knot of desire in the pit of his gut. Ren laughed and Hux felt breath on his cheek, the hand on his back slid lower. Close to his ear, Ren murmured, "Could you be any louder? Come to me later. Until then, imagine what we could do together."


	15. Luke & Han "I have contemplated becoming a hermit"

Han grinned at the man he considered more brother than friend.  
"So you're actuallly gonna do it? Set up a new Jedi school?"

"I am!" Luke couldn't keep the smugness from his face. "I found a great place for it and there are a few force-sensitive younglings already waiting for me or Lor San Tekka to collect them."  
"Padawans, huh?" Han nudged Luke's shoulder. "You'll be a great dad."

Luke rolled his eyes. "It's not like that at all, Han, you think Yoda saw himself as my dad?"  
Han laughed. "I see your point, kid. You're really gonna do it. I'm... not ready for that kinda commitment."  
"Ha! I have contemplated becoming a hermit instead. Anyway," Luke pointed at the small boy sitting in the grass, tilting his head and giggling at something only he could hear. "You already have one helluva commitment."

Han gave his son a lopsided grin.  
"Ben? Hey Ben! Come say hi to Uncle Luke."


	16. Poe Dameron to Ben Solo "You're too young to hate the world"

Ben hid behind a pile of crates in the hangar, crouched down, red-faced but refusing to cry. He'd messed up again and he felt like the whole galaxy was against him.

Poe found the younger boy, fists pushed against his eyes, mouth a frustrated grimace.

"Hey, Ben, everyone's looking for you. You okay?"  
"Get LOST, Poe!" Ben yelled, and his his face in his arms, knees pulled up tight. Poe sighed.  
"Aww, come on, buddy! Come out of here."  
"NO!" Ben shrunk into himself. "I HATE you. I HATE everything!"

"You're eight, Ben. Too young to hate the whole galaxy." Poe sank down beside the distraught lad. "There must be someone you don't hate?"  
Ben sniffed. "Nobody understands me except--"  
Poe waited for Ben to finish his sentence.   
"Except... your mom? She's worried about you. Come back with me." As an afterthought, Poe added the promise that never failed to sway him when he was feeling moody. "There's pie."

Ben smeared his face with his hands.  
"You're only eleven, asshole. Don't talk down to me like that. He says I deserve more respect."  
"He says? Who?" Poe risked stroking Ben's hair back from his forehead. Ben flinched and snapped.  
"Nothing. Doesn't matter."

The two boys sat in silence for a minute. Eventually, Ben turned to look sideways at Poe.  
"You gonna leave me alone?"  
"No, buddy."  
"Ugh fine," Ben huffed out a sigh. "I'll see what mom has to say. You better be right about pie."


End file.
